The Tears of Sisme

This is the first book of the Kivattar Bridge, a fantasy in four books. The Bridge is the key point on the path followed by the shadowy Kivattar towards the deepest mysteries of existence. The story traces that hidden path through the lives of four young people, the rawest, most chaotic Kivattar group ever formed. As they travel across an exciting world that is ancient, but far from primitive, with a rich diversity of characters, cultures and habitats, the young group are pushed headlong into the heart of the relationship between human life and the universe we inhabit.
The first book starts as a traditional story in which the young people are persuaded to step out of their normal lives to search for a legendary talisman. The search will take them to distant and dangerous lands where they will soon find themselves facing the powerful enemies glimpsed in the prologue. All four live in a peaceful rural homeland, ill-prepared for what is to follow as one by one they encounter their future guides and mentors, the mysterious Kivattar. Their peace ends abruptly as the first enemy strikes. The Kivattar realise the time for waiting is over and call the young group together to convince them that the talisman legend is true and that they personally are involved.
They make the long journey west to the Empire where the talisman is prophesied to appear. At this point they are little more than children, but as they are steered through one intense danger after another by their Kivattar guide, they grow up fast. What started as fantasy becomes more real to the young group with each new challenge, drawing them deeper into a struggle with an intricate history measured in thousands of years. When they reach the west coast, the time and place of the talisman's coming appearance in the Empire capital are confirmed. To have any chance of completing the mission they must all be there by the spring festival.
At this point it all goes wrong. The group is scattered, two of them trapped aboard a ship making a long haul south and the other two sold off as slaves. Their Kivattar guide rescues the slaves, while the others fight clear of villains, storms and pirates to reach the capital just in time, only to find themselves all thrown into the dungeons. Awaiting them is a sinister priest who intends to claim the talisman for himself, and even more dangerous, the Imperial Princess who plans to execute them all on the final day of the festival. At last the talisman appears and the group escape, hotly pursued by the Imperial army who blame them for the Emperor's assassination. They are saved by the intervention of the fierce Sarai people who take them to the safety of their inaccessible plateau.
By this time the young people are aware that their lives have been irrevocably changed, but they know nothing yet of the Kivattar path and their own unique role in the future of the world.